Towing a U-Haul Enclosed 5x8 Trailer

[ClevelandBeemer]

Ha, truck stuff! I had an opportunity to get a bit of towing in from Cleveland to Pittsburgh and back. Overall as others have said, the truck tows like a dream, though the U-Haul 5x8 is a pretty small trailer.

Efficiency: about 75% of the drive was spent at 70mph in 40°F weather. My average efficiency for the trip was approximately 1.4mi/kWh which was good for 183 miles of real world driving. For this 278 mile trip I stopped to charge twice, but I only needed to charge once to get from 13% to 70%.

I’m looking forward to the next trip, this time with a 6x12 to see how it compares. My only complaint, why oh why doesn’t BlueCruise work while towing???

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[Heliian]

The 6x12 is dual axle I think so expect a much bigger range hit.

Trailer towing is too unpredictable for bluecruise.

Windspeed and direction will also play a bigger factor in efficiency with the bigger trailer.

 

[mpdonahuejr]

What app are you using?

 

[ClevelandBeemer]

What app are you using?

ABRP (A Better Route Planner) in combination with the OBDlink CX.

 

[Rocinante]

The 6x12 is dual axle I think so expect a much bigger range hit.

Trailer towing is too unpredictable for bluecruise.

Windspeed and direction will also play a bigger factor in efficiency with the bigger trailer.

GM's Supercruise works with towing, so Ford could have done it too.. I have only seen a few Youtube reviews of the Silverado towing though, but they did say it worked well.

 

[Adventureboy]

I’m looking forward to the next trip, this time with a 6x12 to see how it compares. My only complaint, why oh why doesn’t BlueCruise work while towing???

My 6X12 single axle runs about 65% average.

BlueCruise won't work with a trailer because of liability. This is why:
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18St7W7fp5/

 

[JMD359]

GM's Supercruise works with towing, so Ford could have done it too.. I have only seen a few Youtube reviews of the Silverado towing though, but they did say it worked well.

I would never use a driver assist towing , always do it yourself the computer can’t see what’s going on up ahead far enough to anticipate a sudden stop it’s reactive , as a driver you can be proactive towing , you see brake lights ahead and lift in anticipation of potentially having to stop the computer sees nothing and continues on even accelerating of needed as if nothings happening ahead .

 

[G$$]

@ClevelandBeemer , I am basically doing the same thing, except pulling a 6x12 U-Haul trailer about 1,000 mi total (PA->IN round trip). The truck's dash says I am averaging 1.0-1.1 mi/kwh, but strangely, ABRP's "reference consumption", which is pulling from an ODBLink CX adapter, has been slowly increasing from ~1.4 to ~1.71 mi/kwh as I drive.

Anyone know why the difference?

 

[ClevelandBeemer]

I would never use a driver assist towing , always do it yourself the computer can’t see what’s going on up ahead far enough to anticipate a sudden stop it’s reactive , as a driver you can be proactive towing , you see brake lights ahead and lift in anticipation of potentially having to stop the computer sees nothing and continues on even accelerating of needed as if nothings happening ahead .

To each their own. One a fairly straight and well maintained highway like the RT-80, I have no problem letting BlueCruise operate the controls. I still have to be looking out the windshield and pay attention removing any proactively concerns. Furthermore, other manufacturers enable driver assistance while towing. This is a uniquely Ford issue.

@ClevelandBeemer , I am basically doing the same thing, except pulling a 6x12 U-Haul trailer about 1,000 mi total (PA->IN round trip). The truck's dash says I am averaging 1.0-1.1 mi/kwh, but strangely, ABRP's "reference consumption", which is pulling from an ODBLink CX adapter, has been slowly increasing from ~1.4 to ~1.71 mi/kwh as I drive.

Anyone know why the difference?

That is interesting. Did you set up a separate profile in ABRP for towing?

 

[RickLightning]

To each their own. One a fairly straight and well maintained highway like the RT-80, I have no problem letting BlueCruise operate the controls. I still have to be looking out the windshield and pay attention removing any proactively concerns. Furthermore, other manufacturers enable driver assistance while towing. This is a uniquely Ford issue.



That is interesting. Did you set up a separate profile in ABRP for towing?

That's exactly why they don't allow it - because you, in your judgement, think it's ok to do. It's not.

Also, you may want to check the stamp on the U-Haul tires that says max speed they are rated for. You're exceeding it. And, I'll bet $50 you didn't a) inspect the tires or b) check their air pressure.

A very large percentage of people that tow do so putting others at risk. Not saying you do, but some of what you're saying says you lean that way.

 

[ClevelandBeemer]

That's exactly why they don't allow it - because you, in your judgement, think it's ok to do. It's not.

Also, you may want to check the stamp on the U-Haul tires that says max speed they are rated for. You're exceeding it. And, I'll be $50 you didn't a) inspect the tires or b) check their air pressure.

A very large percentage of people that tow do so putting others at risk. Not saying you do, but some of what you're saying says you lean that way.

Yikes. A few things here as you make a lot of assumptions.

1. I check all equipment I tow. Both tires were inflated at 70psi. Tongue weight was also 130lbs which was right in line with U-Haul’s spec for the trailer + cargo.

2. U-Haul has a 55mph sticker for liability. The installed tires are M rated which means they’re safe up to 81mph.

3. You do see the irony of thinking my judgment is poor while your judgment is better despite your getting some key facts wrong?

Again, other manufacturers ALLOW driver assistance while towing. Do you think that GM has no idea what they’re doing?

 

[RickLightning]

Yikes. A few things here as you make a lot of assumptions.

1. I check all equipment I tow. Both tires were inflated at 70psi. Tongue weight was also 130lbs which was right in line with U-Haul’s spec for the trailer + cargo.

2. U-Haul has a 55mph sticker for liability. The installed tires are M rated which means they’re safe up to 81mph.

3. You do see the irony of thinking my judgment is poor while your judgment is better despite your getting some key facts wrong?

Again, other manufacturers ALLOW driver assistance while towing. Do you think that GM has no idea what they’re doing?

You're right, I made assumptions based on my 13 years on F-150-related forums. You are clearly not the norm. I apologize for making the assumption that you were.

I think GM's lawyers said that if they included certain warnings in their literature / agreements, they could enable the feature while towing. And, since Ford only recently disabled it while towing, I think they got some information that suggested they should turn it off. I don't think it's safe for handsfree towing, no.

 

[G$$]

Yep, I setup a new ABRP "drive profile" specifically for this trailer.

 

[ClevelandBeemer]

Yep, I setup a new ABRP "drive profile" specifically for this trailer.

Do you have this selected?

 

[Adventureboy]

Do you think that GM has no idea what they’re doing?

I question GM's sanity. I have towed for 45 years. I will not allow any automated driving system in its current state to take control when I have a trailer behind. Not to say they won't get there, but IMHO, today, they are simply not yet adequate. We react instantly to elements like wind or horse movement in the trailer because we can feel it before we can see it, and the hand is already moving. Even a 1/2 second delay caused by optical-only reactions can translate to a big sway at the tail of the trailer.

Do you think BlueCruise or SuperCruise can handle a 30mph side gust on a lightweight 30-foot camper trailer? BlueCruise struggles with side gusts even without a trailer.

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